Ray W. Grau

Ray died on March 11,2022 after fighting cancer and heart failure. Ray was born on January 29, 1944 to Rudolph and Emma (Windisch) Grau. They lived in Ross Township and Ray attended Olney schools, graduating in 1962. After studying college prep courses, he attended the University of Toledo, College of Business, graduating in 1967 with a BBA degree with a major in accounting. Ray worked for a time with a major accounting firm before taking a position as an industrial accountant which he enjoyed for over thirty years until health issues forced him to take early retirement. Ray was a member of the National Association of Accountants.

Ray met his true love, Frances Ann Wilcik, through a mutual friend and for the next sixty years they enjoyed shopping, traveling, sightseeing, and seeing the attractions of our country. Ray found science fiction as a young teenager and remained a fan to the end. As time passed, Ray was able to take his lovely bride to several of Sci Fi’s annual family reunions the World Con. Their travels reached as far east as the Neitherlands and as far west as Annaheim, CA, Disneyland. On a trip to England, Ray promised his bride that if possible, they could see a stage play. When they checked into their hotel in London, they found a revival of “The King and I” playing with (Yul Brynner) Ray and Fran said afterwards they couldn’t have planned this beforehand.

Besides visiting Disneyland several times a day, Ray and his bride (and several other fans) found they did not have to return to see the nightly fireworks.  Instead resting in the rooftop spa, they all lay back and enjoyed the show in the huge mirror above them—the glass side on their hotel’s central tower.

As time passed and health issues increased, Ray and Fran confined themselves to one day bus trips by various groups. Dinner theatres and the Amish were their favorite. At one of the dinner shows, Frances was able to meet (and shake hands with) one of her idols, Frankie Avelon. (Ray thinks that she didn’t wash her hand for a month.) As bus trips declined, Ray went back to taking Frances about the area as they had done years before.

Ray is survived by his sister Maurine Reynolds, her daughters and their children. Anyone wishing to leave a memorial, the family suggests the American Cancer Society of Northwest Ohio, St. Jerome Catholic Church, or the donor’s choice.

Friends will be received Saturday, March 26, 2022 after 9:00 A.M. in the Witzler-Shank-Walker Funeral Home 701 N. Main St. Walbridge, Ohio 43465 (419-666-3121) where a Memorial Service will follow at 10:00 A.M. with burial to follow in Toledo Memorial Park.